dear alice.

VIII. FIXED

It was said that the eyes of a person held the truth, so Archie closed his whilst Alice opened hers up to the world. He had his reasons. Life wasn't exactly running to plan. Whether it was his father's infatuation with work, his mother's need for perfection or Fletcher's rather questionable way of showing affection things seemed to want a piece of the youngest Dundeen. Tonight was no exception.

Downstairs classical music and expensive glasses of white wine entertained the guests and upstairs a door sat in between it all. The hum of voices roused Archie from his unresponsive state, as he lay on his neatly made bed in his equally neat suit. All he could do was think. All the possibilities, every situation seemed to run through his head and each one needed to be shifted through. If he was asked about his father the answer was simple, enthuse about his work and make him look good in every form of light. If the topic changed to his brother hide the discomfort and keep the heart rate down. Smile. Barely touch on the subject. Find a way to switch the questions back to the person. Don't stay at one for too long. Manage time and avoid distractions. This night was not about him.

"Just get through this night," he sighed. "Just this one night."

The blades of the fan seemed to get faster as he opened his eyes to watch them spin. He couldn't hide up in his room forever. Sadly. Rubbing his face he sat up. The room was neat his hair not so much. His tie sat crooked under his freshly shaven chin which would need to be fixed before he went downstairs to 'socialize' as his father had put it.

"You're a Dundeen, Archie. Act like one," he coached.

The stairs seemed longer as he made his way down them towards the inevitable. He put on his best smile and entered the crowd. His parent had invited anyone who is anyone in Southford. The sheriff to the mayor, they all seemed to be here. Archie spotted his mother chatting up his principal. The man, well into his late 60s, wore a plaid suit and a flamingo bow tie, which did nothing for his large gut.

His eyes were torn from his mother when Fletcher Dundeen's laugh echoed through the room. Next to him a black hair girl in a navy blue dress fiddle with the drink in her hand seemingly uninterested in his advances. Archie knowing Fletcher knew he wouldn't back down.

His legs moved without much thought towards the girl because he couldn't let his brother ruin another life.

"Look who it is, my brother, Archie Gregory Dundeen," Fletcher began.

"Fletcher," he said, hostility lacing his lips. "I thought you were going out."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world brother. You see I was just telling Miss Grimsby here about our little trip to France we had last year," he rested an elbow on the table beside to a relaxed position. Archie knew what he was doing and he wouldn't let it work. Although Alice Grimsby didn't seem to let it. She greeted him with a soft smile and placed a hand on his bicep. Her eyes held something in them that Archie couldn't quite decipher.

"I haven't been able to put one word in," Alice chuckled. "Your brother knows how to talk up a storm."

"Yeah..." Maybe it was a mischievous gaze she held. Her hand slipped from his arm and she looked back at the oldest Dundeen before gesturing him to continue.

"Ahem. Yes as I was saying, Do you remember that time in France when I told one of the workers at the Eifel tower you had a crush on them? She had smiled politely, you know cause even if you don't like them its nice to at least acknowledge them. She walks over and ha, she tells Arch here he wasn't her type. The poor boy was crushed but then she turns to me and goes, in that hot French accent, He's my type," Fletcher burst out, slapping Archie on the back.

Hide the discomfort and keep the heart rate down. Smile. Don't let her know. Alice swirled her drink around taking a sip before smiling ever so sweetly at Fletcher.

"Just between you and me Fletcher... Your brother is the better looking one."

The smile never left her lips as she insulted him even daring to use a rather poor French accent.

"Semblant je l'ai dit quelque chose de drôle," She grinned at Archie knowing full well Fletcher wouldn't understand a thing they were saying. They did have French class together. Pretend I said something funny so Archie chuckled.

"Qu'est-ce que tu fais?" He asked. What are you doing?

"Votre frère se comporte comme un âne de porcs," She noted. Your brother is acting like a pigs ass.

"Mon frère est un âne de porcs," This time his laugh was more genuine. My brother is a pigs ass.

All of this was done in front of Fletcher Dundeen without him having a clue what they were saying. His eyes narrowed at the black haired girl and his face became flushed.

"I also think you're a little bit young to be drinking," Alice took the glass out of his hand and set it down on the table.

"I'm nineteen."

Alice nearly did a spit take and Archie sealed his lips to hide his laugh. Grimsby knew how to play her cards. Fletcher growled at the black haired girl. An odd thing to do perhaps but she infuriated him and both entertained and confused Archie. The two exchanged short glances while silence settled on the group. A few times a chuckle would escape, which was quickly shut down by biting their lip.

"Watch it Grimsby," Fletcher breathed, snatching his drink from the table he disappeared into the crowd leaving Alice and Archie in a giggling mess.

Archie laughed like he had never in the past few years. It consumed him, making him gasp for air. Alice looped her arm with the laughing boy and ushered him away. They weaved through the crowd until fresh air washed over their heated faces. Outside the air was cooler and the tension far less noticeable than inside.

In all of Archie's life, nobody had ever stood up for him. Not even in the unique way Alice had. It was all stern looks and turned backs, never something like this. When parents hardly paid attention the other brother steps up. In Archie's case, it was Fletcher and he didn't take his job lightly. He ridiculed his brother reminding him he was doing this for his benefit. That in later life he'd be thanking him. Archie hadn't thanked him for a day in his life. So when Alice did something he never thought was possible something spark inside of him. Perhaps just a laugh.

"You can't let him treat you like that," She said.

"He's certainly in his place now," he replied taking up the spot next to her over looking the front yard.

"That doesn't matter," she sighed. "He had it coming. But it wasn't supposed to go like that."

"What do you mean?"

"You were supposed to be the one to say it, not cackle like a witch."

"Seems like you planned this Grimsby."

"Hardly Dundeen, every situation has to have an outcome and I make sure I map out each possibility so I have the right words to say. That, however, was not rehearsed," Alice swivelled on the spot, leaning against the fence.

He found himself staring at her once again. Drawn to her eyes he felt like he couldn't understand them. It wasn't mischief that her caramel eyes held; it was far more complicated than that. Her eyes spoke of sadness, regret, happiness and courage whilst her face said nothing. Eyes were the key to the truth but what good was that when you couldn't put the pieces together.

"I don't understand you," he muttered.

"That's a mutual thought," She sassed back.

"Why stand up for me? I'm just the son of a rich guy. I am nothing to you," he faced her.

Alice smiled softly once again and raised her hands towards Archie's face. Before she reached it her hands fell on his tie.

"You can either fold or stand up and be counted. Fletcher made the mistake and showed his cards too early," she straightened the tie and dropped her hands. "Was the red drink wine or just horrid tasting cordial?"

"Wine," he smiled.

"Huh."

It's not that Alice fixed Archie; she just showed him a reason to mend himself, a reason to stand up and be counted. In the upcoming weeks, Archie would do that, he would take a stand and end the torment his older brother gave him. It was said that the eyes of a person held the truth, so Archie opened his up to the world whilst Alice closed hers.